


Down in Flames

by GallifreyGod



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-15 05:47:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13024533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GallifreyGod/pseuds/GallifreyGod
Summary: Joyce and Jim were friends, just friends…and it seemed like that wasn’t changing. Maybe it never would either. Just when he started to come to terms with that, Joyce had asked him to be her date at the snowball… as friends.It didn’t take Hopper more than a half of a second to agree proudly to his best friend’s offer.But he didn't expect things to go the way they did.





	Down in Flames

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this to my tumblr - @Jopper-Choppper. I figured I'd share it here too.

Joyce and Jim were friends, _just friends…_ and it seemed like that wasn’t changing. Maybe it never would either. Hop wanted to count down the days until it would change, but he never knew when that would be. Just when he started to come to terms with that, Joyce had asked him to be her date at the snowball… as friends.

It didn’t take Hopper more than a half of a second to agree proudly to his best friend’s offer. Maybe things were changing slowly? Even if they weren’t, Jim found his best suit and his most expensive cologne. Brushing his hair neatly, evening out his jacket, and lighting up a cigarette, he was ready for the dance that might just change everything.

He picked Joyce up and made sure to take his father’s advice and open the door for her. She looked absolutely stunning in a black skater dress with white polka dots and long sleeves. He had never seen her hair as curly while being well tamed since usually it was pulled back and filled with fly hairs. Her cheeks and lips were red and her lashes sat perfectly across her lids. She had never looked more beautiful to him.

“You look… _wow_.” Jim expressed nervously as he itched the back of his neck.

“I’ll take _‘wow’_ as a compliment.” She winked playfully as he escorted her off the icy porch steps to his car.

Jim barely said two words during the whole car ride, nervous he would say the wrong thing. Cigarette after cigarette, he played the entire night plans in his mind thirteen times; the good and the bad possibilities. Finally, they pulled up in the school parking lot. Hop remembered again to open the car door for her, he _couldn’t_ mess this up.

“You okay?” Joyce asked with concern in her voice as she straightened out his tie.

“Yeah, I… yeah.” He felt defeated. They were here as _friends_. Why were his nerves getting the best of him?

“It’s me, Hop. Just Joyce. It’s not like you’re here with Chrissy.” She joked as she nudged his arm.

She was right. This wasn’t a hit it and quit it mission, this was his Joyce! There was no such thing as _'Just Joyce.’_

“I know, Joycie. I’m alright.” Hopper replied quietly as he held out his arm for her to grab. Escorting her on the slick ice, he pulled the school doors open for her.

Jaws seemed to drop when the two walked in. Looking like the skid row kids cleaned up pretty nicely as Joyce was model material and Hop was sharp as a knife.

“I’ll get us some drinks,” Jim said quietly as he pulled out a chair for Joyce at a back table. He felt like he couldn’t breathe through the tie that hung snuggly around his neck, or maybe it was because Joyce’s beauty took the breath from his lungs.

When Hopper returned with their glasses of punch, he sat down next to her. She could smell the nervousness reeking from his body while his demeanor didn’t argue with that notion.

“Let’s dance.” Joyce offered as she hoped it would lighten his mood. Hop nodded nervously before taking her hand to the floor.

“Around my waist, Hop.” She giggled as she saw him sputter.

“I don’t bite, closer.” Obviously, her mood wasn’t to leave room for Jesus. She couldn’t understand what was making him like this? Hopper was always bold as steel, what changed?

Jim’s palms were sweating. This moment seemed to be now or never, it would be over in a blink of an eye. He battled with himself over whether or not to speak up and just admit his feelings. He was lost too deep in her eyes though.

“Shit, Lonnie is coming. Kiss me!” Joyce begged as she saw Byers walk in the door.

“Joyce, I… I don-” Hopper began.

“Kiss me!” She barely finished asking when his lips came crashing down to hers. He pulled her in closer with his hand on her waist. No words could describe the way her velvet plush lips felt pressed to his.

Before he could savor the moment of feeling alone with her, she pulled back with a smile. “Thanks for that, he won’t leave me alone. That should show him.”

His heartbeat stopped ringing in his ears while his stomach dropped with disappointment. It happened all too fast, he couldn’t even process that this wasn’t real. This was just a ploy to piss off Lonnie.

“Joyce, no.” Hopper started. He could still feel her chest to chest with him as he couldn’t let her go. “I can’t be your cover-up. I can’t be the shield that comes and goes when Byers is around. It hurts my heart too much.”

“Your heart?— _oh_ _…_ ” Like an avalanche, realization came crashing down on her. Hopper was carrying a torch for her?

Jim looked at her with his eyes full of despair. If she squinted, she could see the tears he was trying to hold from welling in his eyes.

Joyce gave him a sad smile. “I didn’t know.” She cocked her head as she watched him try to look away.

With an audible gulp, Hopper shrugged. “I guess I didn’t know how to tell you.” Well, this was _not_ one of the several scenarios he had ran through in his head.

Her heart was beating just as fast as his was now, there was no willing it to slow. In all honesty, she had tucked those feelings away long ago. With the idea that Hop would be too invested in his back seat screw-arounds with the cheerleaders, she didn’t dwell around in her feelings for him.

Joyce smiled as she softly cupped his cheek. “You wanna kiss me again?”

“I do. I _really_ do.” Jim huffed nervously. He realized that Joyce was waiting for him as a grin sat proudly on her face.

Once more, his lips locked to hers. The world around them both faded away, gasps and all. It was just them standing there, lips moving softly against each other.

 

They stood there, unable to pull apart for several long moments. Even despite Mr. Cooper’s shouting at them from across the gymnasium.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank the Devil, God, Winona Ryder, Jesus, David Harbour, and the Duffer Brothers for these beautiful characters.


End file.
